I had a tummy tuck and hernia repair - Totally Worth It - Toronto, ON

I had a tummy tuck and hernia repair done in early...

20 Feb 2008

I had a tummy tuck and hernia repair done in early December 2007. I spent a lot of time thinking about this and researching it and found the right surgeon. The recovery was painful but not as painful (thanks to excellent pain meds) as i expected.
The first week i was swollen and bent over - i would say the first 3 days were terrible and then every day after that was better. I was able to make short trips within 2 weeks but It took about 3 weeks for me to feel generally like myself again.
I'd say that by my 4th week I was functioning very,very well 95-98% of my old self. I kept moving in those dark early days of the first week - I made myself walk every 2 hours. this helped with constipation and helped me build back my strength. I followed my doctor's advice to a T and took my vitamins - NO vitamin E, naturopathic meds lioke arnica, probiotics, ate my leafy greens and lean protiens and got lots of sleep.
I had no infections and now just over 2 months later I am back to my regular daily 11/2 hour exercise routine as well as salsa and yoga classes once a week. No heavy weights and no sit ups. My stomacj is smooth and flat. The scar is neat but it's still a big honking scar - its much better than the herniated wrinkles belly I had before and I know it'll look a whole lot better in a few months.
My advice - go into it like you are planning to run a marathon. Get as healthy as you can before hand and get as close as you can to your ideal weight WELL before your operation and stick your ideal weight through exercise and healthy eating for at least 3-4 months so you can get the time to buld up your immune system and get as healthy as possible. You don't want to compromise your immune system with the stress dieting puts on it before you go into this very, very serious operation.
Ph yeah - don't skimp on your surgeon - this is not the time to go bargain hunting. If you get a reasonable deal great but for your own sanity and safety don't let money be the deciding factor. Better to wait and save up for the right surgeon if you cant afford the one you want.
Good Luck - I am soo glad I did this.